It's 1706, the time of good Queen Anne. Mistress Rebeccah Dutton never dreamed that several encounters with the notorious highwayman Blue-Eyed Nick on the deserted heaths around London would turn her respectable world upside down. When she discovers the highwayman is actually a woman named Kate, her curiosity about the dashing thief turns to fascination. Kate has to deal with a thieftaker snapping at her heels and secrets from her past before Rebeccah can become better acquainted with this intriguing highwaywoman. Will Kate avoid the shadow of Tyburn long enough for Rebeccah to explore this twist of fate?
“The story is solidly written with a wealth of historic detail and exactly the right frisson of suspense. Given the genre, the initial plot structure is somewhat predictable, and it isn’t exactly a spoiler to guess that Kate’s brush with the gallows will come off well (after all, this isn’t a Sarah Waters novel!) but there is sufficient story remaining after that resolution that I was kept on edge trying to guess what other obstacles would rise before our heroines.” – Heather Rose Jones, The Rose Garden
“Kate is a great character, full of zest and heart . . . The story is quick-paced, a fast read that would translate well into an epic period piece on the big screen. The historical details are rich, bringing the story to life before the reader’s eyes. I found myself easily engrossed in the plot, turning pages quickly in my haste to find out how Kate escapes the noose and whether or not Rebeccah gets her “highwayman” in the end. “If you love unconventional historical romances spiced with suspense and adventure, this book is a fun read that will have you looking forward to more from this talented author.” – J.M. Snyder, Rainbow Reviews
Nuance
264 pp. ● 6×9
$15.95 (pb) ● $9.95 (eb)
ISBN 978-1-934452-01-1 (pb)
FICTION – Historical
FICTION – Lesbian
England – Social life and customs – 18th century – Fiction
Women outlaws – Fiction
“I found Kate terribly sexy and appealing, the female swashbuckler of my dreams. Davies, the author, pulls off an entirely believable heroine in Kate. Rebeccah for her part is just enough of a nonconformist to make choices another woman of her time might balk at. The story is exciting, titillating, and full of authentic historical material. A lovely cameo by Sarah Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough, is a real treat.” – Nan Hawthorne, Bosom Friends
“I found Kate terribly sexy and appealing, the female swashbuckler of my dreams. Davies, the author, pulls off an entirely believable heroine in Kate. Rebeccah for her part is just enough of a nonconformist to make choices another woman of her time might balk at. The story is exciting, titillating, and full of authentic historical material. A lovely cameo by Sarah Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough, is a real treat.”–Kit Moss Reviews
“Rebeccah and the Highwayman is one of those thrilling, swashbuckling stories that will keep you turning page after page . . . Davies gives us stunning descriptions of London life and times. She also gives us some of the more abhorrent imagery of less savory places, rounding out our picture of a fascinating era. The characters are people we grow to be concerned about and we want to root for the success of the good guys and the demise of the bad. There are cliff-hanging details, nail biting moments, and tender scenes of romance and attraction—in short, something for everyone. If you love historical romance and adventure, you’ll love this exciting, well-crafted period tale.” – Anna Furtado, Just About Write
“Nice period piece by Barbara Davies. The characters are interesting, the setting is fascinating and definitely different. The plot is believable and picks up in pace when Kate is captured and sentenced for her thieving ways. I like that she is not portrayed as Robin Hood, while she does take from the rich she uses the money to support herself and her family. She is always in danger and always around some form of violence. That of course clashes harshly with Rebeccah’s protected life, but the attraction between the two is believable. So if you’re looking for a few hours of fun escapist reading that really takes you to a different world you I’d say you can’t go wrong with this one.” – Bookish Ramblings
“Rebeccah and the Highwayman is a good, old-fashioned romp. Those who like period pieces will find the setting of early 18th century England perfect with its laces, manners and sword fighting. Readers who like a story with a historic background will appreciate the little details sprinkled through this book that give it authenticity. A number of times in this book the reader will find herself saying, “So that’s what they did about that.” The scenes describing life in the streets, conditions in the prisons and the carnival atmosphere of hangings are particularly rich. The result of this is a feeling for the reader of being in the time of the book. It also makes what could have been a routine romance a little more exotic. How often does a heroine rush into a scene on horseback firing flintlock pistols and brandishing a rapier? This is a well crafted book with adventure, suspense, tension and a little romance thrown in. Those looking for torrid sex scenes won’t find them, but that only goes to prove that a story can be entertaining and fun to read without them. If tales set in history are not what a reader normally looks for, this one still has enough selling points to make it worth trying.” – Lynne Pierce, lesfic unbound
Barbara Davies was born in Birmingham, England, twenty minutes after her twin sister. She grew up in the Midlands, managed to scrape a BA from York University, worked in computing in Surrey, then moved to Gloucestershire where she’s now a writer and a book reviewer for Starburst. Barbara published her first short story in 1994. Since then, more than forty of her stories have appeared in various genre magazines, including Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Fantasy Magazine, Khimairal Ink, Neo-Opsis, and nanobison, and in the anthologies Ideomancer Unbound, Crossings, and F/SF Volume 1. The readers of Kimota gave one of her stories their 1999 Best Story Award.